San Antonio -- Several Cavaliers came to the defense of Byron Scott who, according to a recent Sports Illustrated poll, is one of the coaches for which NBA players would least like to play.

In an anonymous survey of 134 players, Scott finished third on a list behind Orlando's Stan Van Gundy and Milwaukee's Scott Skiles. Scott received 9 percent of the vote, while Van Gundy led the field with 22 percent.

Scott can be blunt and demanding, and he has clashed with high-profiles players such as Jason Kidd and Baron Davis during his stops in New Jersey and New Orleans. But Anthony Parker and Kyrie Irving were surprised to see their coach in the unfavorable category. Each assumed the ranking is attributed to Scott's grueling training camps.

"They must have heard stories," Parker said. "Otherwise, that doesn't make sense."

Irving has built a strong relationship with Scott in his first season.

"Besides that [running], he's one of the best coaches in this league," Irving said, "Just based on the fact he listens to you, but also he gives you an opinion that's in your best interest all the time. He was a player, so he understands how we're feeling.

"That's basically what it's about. Having a coach to go out there and play, he understands you're going to make mistakes and he doesn't take you out right away. He hopes you learn from it."

According to the poll, Boston's Doc Rivers (22 percent) Mike D'Antoni (21 percent) and San Antonio's Gregg Popovich (16 percent) were the coaches for which players most wanted to play. D'Antoni was fired by the New York Knicks this season, in part because he lost a power struggle with All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony.

Scott said he saw the poll on Sunday.

"I started laughing," he said. "I knew it would be hard to beat Scott and Stan. . . . I wouldn't lose sleep over it. I think Stan is a real good coach and I think the same about Scott Skiles. The thing I know about both of those guys is they are pretty demanding. If that's the case, and I'm put in that category as a very demanding coach, I don't mind that.

"A lot of guys, you know, want you to kiss their butts, and I'm not going to do that. That ain't happening, and I'm not going to tell them what they want to hear."

Gee returns: A sprained ankle is never a good thing, but Scott said the injury had a benefit for Alonzo Gee: The hard-working small forward finally got some rest.

He returned to the lineup against San Antonio on Sunday after missing the previous three games. Gee is averaging 29.4 minutes while guarding some of the league's most athletic players. He played 19.6 minutes per game in his rookie season.

"This is the most he has ever played and, in this [compressed] season, as short as this has been, I think it obviously has affected him."

In his past 16 games, Gee's shooting percentage has dipped to 35.4 percent as he gets accustomed to life as a starter. He also has averaged 15.1 points in that span. Gee is a competitor, Scott said, and the coach believes the small forward will grow from the experience.

"It's probably good that he hurt his ankle a bit and we gave him a week off, so to speak," Scott said.

Another summer-leaguer:D.J. Kennedy, recalled from the Development League on Saturday, dressed for his first NBA game on Sunday.

He signed a similar deal to the ones given Manny Harris and Donald Sloan. He will play for the Cavs' Summer League team and likely attend training camp on a non-guaranteed contract.

The last word: Scott believes the veteran Spurs, who could finish with the best record in the Western Conference, are equipped for a long playoff run. "They have everything you need to win a championship," he said. "Their only weakness might be free throws. Other than that, they are probably one of the best teams I have seen in a while."

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